Governor Greg Abbott announced his inaugural appointments to the new Fifteenth Court of Appeals, which was created last year to have exclusive intermediate appellate jurisdiction over appeals involving disputes brought by or against the State and its officers and challenges to the constitutionality of a state statute. It will also have exclusive jurisdiction to review judgments from Texas’ business courts.
The Governor has appointed Scott A. Brister as Chief Justice, Place 1, Scott K. Field, Place 2, and April L. Farris, Place 3, to the Fifteenth Court of Appeals, effective September 1, 2024, for terms set to expire on December 31, 2026, or until their successors shall be duly elected and qualified.
Scott A. Brister of Austin is a Senior Partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. Previously, he served as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas, Justice and Chief Justice of the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals, and Judge of the 234th Judicial District Court.
Scott K. Field of Liberty Hill is Judge of the 480th Judicial District Court in Williamson County. Previously, he served as a Justice of the Third Court of Appeals, partner at Butler Snow, LLP, managing partner of the Field Law Firm, PLLC and York, Keller & Field, LLP, and an attorney at Baker Botts LLP.
April L. Farris of Houston is a Justice on the First Court of Appeals, where she has served since January 2021. Previously, she was an Appellate Litigation Partner at Yetter Coleman, LLP and served as an Assistant Solicitor General for the Texas Solicitor General’s Office. She is an editorial board member for The Advocate and an executive committee member for the Garland R. Walker Inn of Court.